


Nascent

by Sar61_Sanz6



Category: Undertale (Swapfell), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Swapfell (Undertale), Other, Temporary Amnesia, Triplets, Undertale Monsters on the Surface
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21942553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sar61_Sanz6/pseuds/Sar61_Sanz6
Summary: In the world of Swapfell, monsters are free and are trying to live peacefully with humans. The royal family is working to establish peace between humans and monsters around the globe. During a trip, Sans overworks himself and falls into the ocean. The others can not find him and fear he may have dusted. But Sans actually washed up on the shore of a small port town, with no memory of who he is. Clueless and with no one to help him remember, Sans runs into someone who offers her own help and opens her home to him. However, the longer he stays there, strange feelings start to form that are unfamiliar to him. Especially the feelings toward her.
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Sans (Undertale)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 59





	1. How did this happen?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Overboard (Swapfell!SansxReader)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19417204) by [MorseCode312](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorseCode312/pseuds/MorseCode312). 



Amidst trees and wild brush, far from large towns and almost worlds away from cities, a large and grand house stood in front of a magnificent garden. A wide variety of flowers, veggies, nuts, and even fruits grew marvelously in so many colors and shades. The house easily had three floors plus the attic and basement, it was painted a very pale lilac with snow-white frames and porch beams. Its beauty has earned it the title ‘The Enchanted Violet’ amongst people from near and far.

  
Travelers who see the house go so far as to say its a mansion. Some say that it takes a small army to maintain the garden and clean the house. Others claim a family of fifteen work on everything themselves. Rumors whisper that only one person lives there, like a descendant of royalty or nobility, that or the place is a vacation spot for some millionaire wanting to escape the big city. Gossipers go on about how the foods grown in the garden are supposed to be irresistibly tasty or how the house is possibly filled with marble floors and expensive furnishings.

  
But the nearest neighbors; mostly farmers and people wishing to live off the grid, know that the ‘Enchanted Violet’ is owned by a kind woman who lives with her family. They know her story’s beginning and her present, so they laugh whenever the occasional traveling family catch a glimpse of the house beyond the trees and come up with their wild tales.

  
In the garden is a hard-working man, picking out plants and filling large baskets full of fresh vegetables. The combined weight did nothing to slow him as he hefted the baskets on his shoulders and walked across the garden to a pump. There, he washed the garden’s harvest without missing even a speck of dirt. Shade was made by the pavilion over the pump, cooling the man down from the sun’s heat as he worked. The man was fully devoted to his task, not one thing was ever done wrong under his careful watch. In fact, this very man was the one responsible for the garden’s recent splendor and even the house’s maintenance.

  
As he finished washing his load and placing the fresh produce in the baskets, after rinsing the baskets as well, the man wiped his brow with the tattered purple bandana wrapped around his neck.

  
“Dad!”

  
The man stopped and braced himself just in time for the child’s running hug. He turned his head to see a twelve-year-old boy with brown hair in a bob cut with bangs stopping less than a centimeter from his eyebrows. The boy was wearing a t-shirt with a deep vinca blue color and dark brown cargo shorts with dark blue sneakers.

  
“Mom said the scones are ready, she wants you to take a break!” the boy laughed as he grabbed the man’s arm in an attempt to drag him into the house.

  
The man chuckled with the little boy; he did not move an inch despite the child putting all his strength into moving him. The man then reached for the boy and lifted him above his head, getting more laughter out of the boy.

  
“HAHA~! Tell your mother that I will be just a minute longer.” the man said as he placed his child back down and watched him run back to the house.

  
The man smiled as he walked to the house with his baskets full of washed, fresh vegetables on his shoulders. He stopped in the mudroom where he exchanged his black garden boots for a pair of dark violet heeled boots. Then slipped off the dark blue overalls that protected his black pants and the front of his purple collared dress shirt, rolling down the sleeves to cover his arms. Finally, he swapped his gardening gloves for long purple ones that ended at his elbows. Stepping through the door to the kitchen, he placed his load of veggies on the large island when two voices caught his attention.

  
“Dad!” “Dad!”

  
Turning around, the man saw two girls identical to his boy, but these two shared more of a resemblance to each other than their brother.

  
Both girls had their hair tied back in ponytails with large bows, mary jane shoes, short sleeve blouses, and black skirts that ended about an inch below their kneecaps. The only way to tell them apart was by the shade of the colors they wore. The girl standing to the left had her bow, shoes, and blouse in a lavender purple, while her twin’s were raisin purple.

  
The man smiled, “Hello, my flowers. Have you managed to get your Uncle to join us for tea time?”

  
Both girls grinned widely and nodded their heads simultaneously with giggles.

  
“Yeah, though he put up a fight.” the lavender twin said.

  
“But we won the argument!” the raisin twin announced.

  
The father smirked at the likely misfortune his brother suffered at the hands of the twins.

  
“Then let us not wait a moment longer, I can smell your mother’s scones from here.” he said as the three of them walked out of the kitchen and pass the dining room to a sunroom.

  
The room had windows that stopped two inches from the ceiling and two feet from the floor, they formed a half-circle around the room allowing sunlight to pour inside. The walls were painted a pale bluegrass color and each tall window had a small wooden bench with pale iris colored cushions. White pedestals held different flowers that brought life and colors to the plain room as the sun brightened it. A large wooden circle table stood in the center, where the boy sat anxiously with a smile. To his right was a woman wearing a long skirt and heels in a dark purple color with a white blouse and violet shawl. At the boy’s left was his uncle who looked like he had been rudely awakened from his sleep, despite it being three minutes past four.

  
“Your ‘flowers’ are starting to take after you, Sans.” the uncle accused tiredly.

  
“And I could not be more proud of them, Papyrus.” the father responded smugly.

  
The girls giggled and their brother smiled with a low chuckle. With the three of them in one place, it was clear to see that the kids were actually triplets.

  
“Well, I’m glad they are. It means you can join us for family tea, Dear Brother.” the gentle voice of the woman spoke.

  
Papyrus blushed slightly when the woman called him that, lightly scratching his cheekbone and avoiding eye contact. Sans smirked at his brother’s reaction and wondered if he was ever going to get used to her title for him.

  
“Granny is not joining us today?” Sans asked the women as he took a seat by her side. She expertly handled the china tea set, which had beautiful purple and blue flowers with green leaves painted on each piece.

  
“Afraid not, My Dear. She is helping in the farmers market today. But she did say she would make it on time for tomorrow’s tea party.” she answered, pouring the tea as the twins chose to sit next to their Uncle Papyrus, who gave them a tired glare; which they giggled at.

  
“Will Uncle Napstaton and Happi come over tomorrow?” the boy asked as he reached for a scone.

  
“Nope, sorry little man. The two of them have an interview on some live tv show, but they said they could make it next time. And they’d definitely come to the autumn festival.” Papyrus said as he nodded his skull in thanks as the woman handed him his tea.

  
“I can’t wait for fall to come! This year, we will win the pumpkin pie contest!” the raisin twin cheered.

  
“And our pumpkin-scented soaps will be a hit.” the lavender twin said.

  
“Well, I think we’re all excited about the festival. But for now, we best have our tea and scones before they get cold and stale. And today’s blackberry tea with raspberry, pecan, and maple scones.”

  
“Okay, Mom.” the triplets said together then dug into their scones.

  
Papyrus nibbled on his pastry, loving the taste of maple. Sans suspected his wife put maple into the treat on purpose just to tempt his brother into joining. The ex-captain of the royal guard sipped on his tea as he gazed over the table. Thinking back to his life before, he never would have expected to end up with the life he has now.

  
Living secluded from cities in a forest, with a human wife and kids, quitting his job as captain, and gardening? The Sans he was back then would have laughed at the life he has now, but Sans was a new man now. He was happy, truly happy, with what he has. To him, this was perfect.

  
How did all of this happen? Well, that’s a really long story…

  
Perhaps you would like to hear it?


	2. The Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Don't for get to leave comments and kudos!

Monsters were free at last. Thanks to the Determination of Chara, Queen Toriel finally put the past behind her, Asgore reclaimed his throne as King, the citizens could finally put the rule of ‘kill or be killed’ behind them, and peace was now their goal.

  
Chara as adopted by the royal family and even became the Ambassador to monsters on the surface. The royal guard now served only to protect the royal family instead of war. Humans slowly began to accept monsters and some even welcomed them with open arms. 

  
Soon, it seemed as though everyone had found a way to let go of their past lives underground.

  
Undyne put a stop to her experiments on human determination. Refocusing her work to answer the various questions humans had for monsters, their magic, and souls. Things such as: will monster magic have any long term effects on humans? Can monsters eat human foods that do not have magic? What do the colors of a human’s soul mean? Etc.

  
Alphys was still second in the royal guard, but still worked and trained hard despite being free. She was offered time off to enjoy the surface, relax, and explore, but she declined. She does still find time to spend with Undyne, mostly involving anime.

  
Napstaton became even more of a TV celebrity after surfacing on air. He caught the attention of thousands to millions of humans in just a few days after leaving the Underground. Of course, he had to change a few things for the sake of his audience, as humans prefer not to see too many violent and dangerous things on their TVs. Especially anything that may make them fear for their lives.

  
Happstablook got a job in fashion only a few weeks after surfacing. With some encouragement from Chara, Papyrus, and even Napstaton, Happi opened his own fashion line and it skyrocketed from there. Happi soon became just as popular as his cousin, Napstaton even advertises some of Happi’s most popular trends.

  
Papyrus was still technically a judge, but he was finding more time to rest and relax. His relationship with his brother also improved, Sans began to open up more without the constant threat of dusting. Papyrus still keeps close to Sans, as anyone could have expected, supporting him in everything he does.

  
Sans, being the Captain of the Royal Guard, works hard to keep the royal family safe. He constantly works and hardly ever takes breaks regardless of what others tell him. Even queen Toriel asked the skeleton to take time off, but he stubbornly declined.

  
Now, three years have passed and more people around the world are opening up to monsters.

  
Wanting to show humans from other countries that monsters wished for nothing but peace, the royal family decided to accompany Napstaton on his worldwide tour. Taking a royal cruise ship as a means for travel, Sans was placed in charge of security with Alphys at his side. Seeing the tour as an opportunity for their friends, Chara asked for Papyrus, Undyne, and Happi to come along. Toriel and Asgore willingly agreed, it was a good chance for them to get away from Ebott and see new places.

  
All of them agreed to come, and soon, the whole gang was off on an adventure across the seven seas.

  
But Sans still kept overworking himself, always finding something to check on or paperwork that needed to be done. He remained on guard at every stop, never stopping for even a moment. Sans had always taken his job seriously and even now he refused to slack off in the slightest.

  
Deciding to leave Sans be, the others think nothing of how his habit could change his life forever. Then again, how could they have ever known?

* * *

  
The sun shined brightly, almost blinding every being under its rays. Not a single cloud was in the sky, making no possible shade for anyone. But the light did reflect off the water beautifully in the middle of the ocean, schools of fish and sea creatures could be seen just below the ocean’s surface. The water turned lighter blues as a cruise ship sailed closer to land, and soon, bits of color from ocean corals could just barely be seen. And…

  
“Look, over there! I can see land from here! Mom, Dad, everyone! Get to the upper deck, quick!”

  
… the excited shouts of a certain non-binary ambassador could be heard across the cruise ship.

  
“We are coming, my child. Please, calm down.” the gentle voice of the recrowned king could still be heard regardless of the sounds of sea birds calls and the ocean waves clashing with the ship’s hull.

  
“It seems calling all of us here every time we are nearing land has become a new routine for you, Chara.” Queen Toriel said as Asgore and the others reached the upper deck.

  
“Seriously, punk, you might as well be our land alarm or somethin’.” Alphys said with her gruff but friendly voice.

  
“T-That would suit them well.” Undyne spoke, her stutter was hardly noticeable. The scientist locked her arm with Alphys’ as they gazed over the view.

  
Napstaton and Happi nodded as they too looked across the water. A clear, bumpy line of green could be seen above the ocean blue, a sign that shore was not too far away.

  
“Looks like we’ll be docking in a couple hours. Wonder what kind of maple syrups they have?” Papyrus tilted his skull and smirked slightly at the thought of different syrups.

  
“Honestly, why must that always be the first thing on your mind when we are close to shore?” Sans sighed at his brother’s addiction to maple syrup.

  
Just then an announcement went through the speakers, “This is your captain speaking. We will be docking at Beryl Town within three to five hours, all passengers and crew are to prepare if you wish to go ashore, thank you.”

  
“Well, my child, it seems we best get ready.” Asgore said sweetly to Chara.

  
“Yes, the ambassador must be just as presentable as the king and queen. Especially since this town was gracious enough to throw a party in celebration of our quest for peace.” Toriel kindly smiled as she walked back below deck with Asgore and Chara.

  
“A party? Well, we best get ready as well, cousin. It won’t be a real celebration until we take over.” Napstaton lifted his head high as he walked back, with Happi right behind him.

  
“Of course. But the real question is; what are we going to wear?” the ghost said contemplating their attire.

  
“Oh, I’m confident that anything you choose will be a hit!” the robot encouraged as he and his ghostly cousin vanished below deck.

  
“Yeah! A party! You better save me a dance, girl!” Alphys shouted, shoving her fist in the air as the scientist blushed.

  
“A-Alphys! You k-know your-r the o-o-only one for m-me.” Undyne responded as her crimson blush covered her cheeks, the glare of the sun helped hide her eyes as she placed her hands on her cheeks in embarrassment.

  
“Well, I best start planning security patrol shifts, organizing the guard, plan a sweep of the town so the men can be somewhat familiar with the land, and-”

  
“UGH! Sans, this is going to be a party! Loosen up, man! Ya don’t have to be so uptight, take a break this time, seriously!” Alphys groaned as the Captain of the Royal guard started listing his new tasks.

  
“Yeah, bro, while I’m glad you’ve got everything down… don’t you think you might be overdoing it a little?” Papyrus asked, turning his skull to face Sans, “Really, I can’t even remember the last time you had a break.”

  
“That is because the Malevolent Sans does not need breaks. I am perfectly capable of organizing everything that needs to be done by the royal guard and get it done expertly without needing rest. The only rest I need is the sleep I have at night and that is after nightly patrols.” Sans said with confidence. But when one looked closely, they could see the dark purple shading under his eye sockets; so much darker from his own eye lights signature purple that they could almost be mistaken for black. There was also some exhaustion in his expression and a few more small wrinkles in his bandana and uniform.

  
Alphys was not convinced, “You may be captain, but even leaders need to rest. Even the queen stops working every once in a while. Besides, we’re on a cruise! You’ve gotta relax sometimes and enjoy yourself.”

  
Undyne nodded in agreement, “Y-Yeah, Sans. An opportunity l-like this doesn’t happen o-often y-you know.”

  
Sans just shrugged their concerns off, “I will take your advice into consideration. Right now though, I need to prepare for our next stop. I suggest you do as well, we have less than five hours.” he then marched off the deck, likely heading to his office to prepare everything that needed to be done.

  
“I swear Papyrus, your brother is a real bone head sometimes.” grumbled Alphys.

  
“Heh, what can you do? You know how he is; he’s always workin’ hard and never hardly workin’.” the tall skeleton lit a cigarette and huffed a breath of smoke.

  
“B-But he needs to r-relax some time. If he k-keeps pushing himself, Sans c-could get hurt.” Undyne’s voice was laced with worry.

  
“I know Undyne. That’s why I convinced him to come along on this cruise. I was hoping that he might loosen up a bit. But I underestimated his stubbornness.” Papyrus stared at the changing scenery across the water, watching as it got larger and clearer.

  
“Guess all we can do is hope he gives in and relaxes eventually.” Alphys said in a huff.

  
“Y-Yeah, that seems to be the only thing w-we can do.” the royal scientist slightly rubbed her hands.

  
Papyrus sighed and put out his cigarette in a nearby ashtray, “Well, we best get ready ourselves. You know how Sans hates waiting for others.”

  
The three monsters left the deck, all wondering what it would take to get Sans to relax and enjoy himself.

* * *

  
Beryl Town was a quaint place, not large like Ebott City but a big enough size for there to be a hustle and bustle on every street. Most of the buildings had a natural look with natural wood and bricks, but a few were more modern. The place focused on supporting itself on the ocean; tours of natural reefs, scuba diving, jet skis, ocean fishing, boating, etc. There was an assortment of things to see and do for everyone.

  
When the ship docked, dozens of people greeted the royal family; including the mayor. They were informed that the celebration would be held at the park, which was also by a giant dance pavilion. The party was to start at eight, allowing the group to explore the town a bit.

  
Toriel, Asgore, and Chara walked around with the mayor as their tour guide, stopping by cafes every now and then for tea and sweets. Alphys and Undyne headed for the beaches and coral reefs for ‘romantic moments’ like in the animes they watched. Happi stayed on the ship to complete his and Napstaton’s outfits for the night, said robot was at the park setting up his equipment. Papyrus, as expected, headed for shops and restaurants with breakfast items to try out different syrups, getting some strange looks when people saw his strange addiction. And Sans, well, he worked.

  
While everyone tried to get Sans to stop, he always had an excuse and politely dismissed himself. He did everything from organizing the guard to planning their shifts. The skeleton just would not take a break or have fun.

That night, as the party went into full swing, Sans focused on security, observed the people for any suspicious activity, kept regularly checking on the royal family, continued to get reports from the guard, and just plain worked himself to the bone.

  
“Hey, Sans! Get over here, bonehead!”

  
Sans turned around from outside the crowd, seeing Alphys waving her hand and calling him to her. The captain sighed and walked over, expertly avoiding bumping into people.

  
“You have got to try this stuff! It tastes amazing!” Alphys shoved a mug in Sans’ chest, identical to the one she held in her other claw.

  
Sans looked at the drink peculiarly, “Dare I ask what this is?”

  
“It’s a local alcohol, sure it has a weaker kick than monsters’ stuff, but it has a wicked effect.” she explained as she took a guzzle from her mug.

  
“Alphys, you know that I do not drink. If you want a drinking partner, ask my brother.” he began to place his mug down on the table next to him when Alphys stopped him.

“Oh, come on! Just one sip is all I’m askin’, ya don’t have to drink it all, just taste! Trust me, you’ll like it, it’s good.” Alphys starred into Sans’ eye lights, for a good fifteen minutes they just stood there staring at each other until Sans sighed.

  
“If I just taste, JUST taste, will you let me return to work?”

  
“I really think you need a break, but FINE! If ya taste it, I’ll leave you alone.” the lizard rolled her eyes and took another gulp from her mug.

  
Sans sighed again, taking another look at the beverage. The mug was clear glass so it was easy to see the liquid was a golden amber color, it gave a light smell but it was barely noticeable, and despite it being slightly fogged, he could see his reflection clear as day in the surface.

  
Sans lifted a bone brow as he moved his eye lights to Alphys, who just gave him an ‘it’s fine’ look before he took a tiny sip.

  
At first, it tasted like nothing, but then it started forming a mix of flavors. Sea salt was the first thing he identified, then a bit of lime and lemon, he could have sworn there was some cherry in the taste, and finally… something else. Sans could not identify the final flavor, but it seemed familiar in some way.

  
Alphys watched Sans’ face become calculating and questioning, “Well? What do ya think of it?”

  
“Well, your right, the taste is unique. I can not pinpoint the last flavor though.” Sans took another small sip, attempting to figure out the mystery flavor.

  
“HA! Yeah, neither can I. It's supposed to be a secret ingredient or somethin’ around here.” Alphys grinned then frowned as Sans put his mug down.

  
“Well, as intriguing as this beverage is, I need to get back to work.”

  
“Ugh, I feel sorry for the mate you end up with.” the lizard mumbled quietly to herself, but not quiet enough as Sans froze the moment he turned around.

  
A pale violet blush flushed his cheekbones as he turned his skull, “W-W-What?!”

  
Alphys’ eyes widened, then she smirked, “Oh~, do you have someone in mind, bone boy?” she asked teasingly.

  
The skeleton’s sockets bulged and his blush darkened, “Of course not! Why would the Malevolent Sans need a mate?!”

  
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe to help you get your mind off work, relax, and… other things~!” her voice purred at the ‘suggestion’ as she grinned like a Cheshire cat that caught a canary.

  
“A-A-A-Alphys!! That is utterly inappropriate! Why would you even-?! I can not believe you would say that! Of all the-!”

  
The Captain of the Royal Guard then marched off grumbling and embarrassed with a growing and darkening blush. Alphys on the other claw was laughing hard at Sans’ reaction to her teasing.

  
Undyne finally made her way through the crowd of people with a large plate of party snacks for the two of them to share. Seeing her girlfriend looking close to passing out she asked, “W-What’s so funny A-Al?”

  
“O-O-Oh~! Oh, girl! I just had the most fun with Sans!” the lizard was hardly trying to cover her amusement.

  
Her fish girlfriend was confused, “What h-happened?”

  
Alphys tried to cover her giggles as she said, “Okay, okay! So I asked Sans to come over an’ try a drink. Then when he started leaving I just randomly said to myself that I was sorry for the mate he might end up with, and the look on his face when he heard me! Then I started teasing him a bit and his reaction just got funnier! You should have seen it, it was priceless!” she bent over in another fit of laughter as Undyne covered her mouth to cover her smile.

  
Small giggles did slip through the fish’s fingers though, “O-Oh my! Oh d-dear! Hahaha! Oh, p-poor Sans!”

  
As the girls laughed up a storm, Sans marched around for a patrol of the area. Trying to calm down from Alphys’ teasing, despite the blush still crawling all over his skull.

  
‘Me, mate? Perish the thought. The Malevolent Sans does not need a mate. I am perfection, flawless, Captain of the Royal Guard. I have no need to care for a mate, my plate is full taking care of my brother, that lazybones.’ San thought to himself as the night went on. He continued to mentally convince himself that he did not need or want a partner for life.

  
After all, for what reason would he ever have a mate?


	3. Ocean Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this! Do not forget to leave kudos and comment down below!

A couple of days after the celebration in Beryl Town, the royal family and their friends were back on the ocean. The cruise ship carried and housed all the crew and passengers through miles of water. It had everything they needed and would ever want; swimming pools, pool tables, ping-pong tables, video games, a small theater, an all you can eat buffet, and more.

  
By day, the passengers and even the crew were having the time of their lives. The guard even joined the fun with friendly competitions and betting; which Chara was not allowed in on because they were too young to be gambling.

  
But by night, all but one person would be off to bed after sundown. That one person being Sans, the Captain of the Royal Guard, taking regular nightly patrols around the ship.

  
“Good evening, Captain Sans.” the gruff but friendly voice of the ship’s captain greeted.

  
“Good evening, Captain Rogers. Smooth sailing tonight?” Sans asked as he gazed through the control room’s window. Looking wearily at the dark clouds ahead of them.

  
“So far it’s been smooth and those clouds seem quiet. Don’t think they’re gonna storm seriously on us tonight. We should be able to pass under them with little problem.” Captain Rogers replied as he and Sans watch more stars leave their sight.

  
Sans could tell the fifty-five-year-old cruise captain was telling the truth. Captain Rogers had a soul of kindness with an outer rim of integrity. Even now, it seemed the old man’s soul was giving off waves of reassurance without the human elder knowing.

  
The ship’s captain glanced at Sans, “You plan on turning in for the night? A young man like you can’t run forever on coffee. Even an old geezer like myself needs sleep.”

  
The skeleton covered his light laugh with a huff, “You may be old in human standers, but you are hardly a geezer. I should know, I’ve met plenty of them in the Underground and you are nothing like them.”

  
The old man laughed at Sans’ blunt statement.

  
“To answer your question, yes, I am planning on turning in. I just wanted to stop by and hear your opinion on the upcoming weather.” his eye sockets remained on the dark clouds just miles ahead of the ship.

  
Following Sans’ gaze, Rogers replied, “Well, they don’t seem to be dangerous for now. They’ve probably just formed not too long ago. They seem to be growing, for now. Worse we might get is a strong wind, some flash but no lightning, and possibly some loud thunder but nothin’ too noisy. The waters are not all that rough but we’ll likely feel some sway on board. We might even be in for a bit of a shower but doesn't seem too serious.”

  
Sans nodded, “Alright, that's the end of my shift then. Have a good night Captain Rogers.”

  
“To you as well, Captain Sans.” Rogers smiled and watched the skeleton walk out of the control room.

  
Heading down the hall, Sans began to wonder if he should do one more parameter check or not.

  
‘Rogers said the weather is nothing to worry about, besides one more round will not hurt.’ Sans convinced himself.

  
His mind made up, he spiraled downwards from the upper deck to the outer railings, all the way down to the bow and finally the back deck. By this time clouds had covered the sky above the ship, the winds had picked up, and the sway of the cruise was more noticeable. The winds had a strong force and a low whistling sound as they grazed the outer layer of the ship. The rocking of the boat got strong to the point Sans had to grab the railing for support.

  
A light rain started to sprinkle on deck, glossing the wooden floors and metal rails. But the deeper they got into the small storm, the more rain landed on the boat. The sky water started to make everything slippery and hard to grab. Sans mentally cursed himself for choosing to wear high-heeled boots at this very moment.

  
Then came the thunder. It was hardly loud by normal standers, but it seemed to carry a low growl. The very sound brought back horrible memories from the Underground. The rumble of earth, the falling rocks, the dust; this storm was taking the skeleton back to the cave-ins he barely survived as a child.

  
He began losing his grip on reality and the railing as the thunder got louder, deeper, and more familiar. Falling into old instincts, Sans let go of the railing, placed his arms over his skull, curled into a ball, and braced himself for falling debris. That was the worst mistake of his life.

  
As the skeleton became a tight ball of bones, the ship’s rocking rolled him across the back deck, making him slip and slide on the wet floorboards. The roars of thunder forced Sans to curl tighter, moving his skull into his legs and wrapping his arms around them. Sans was slowly going into shock from his fears, making him almost oblivious to the real danger he was in.

  
With another great roar from the sky, a small wave of water reached the boat, flooding the back deck with salty water. The rain kept pouring, the wind got stronger and colder, the sway of the ship rocked once more, leading the ocean water and the skeleton it was carrying to the side of the boat. Sans slightly floated in the water, allowing his balled form to reach the back deck’s side benches and roll right off the ship.

  
The cold water and the pressure of the ocean added to Sans’ shock, making him confused and terrified. He began sinking, lowering to deeper levels of the ocean, but to the monster’s mind; he was falling.

  
‘What is happening? Why am I falling? Where am I? Why is it so cold? What is going on? How did I get here? What should I do? Where am I going? Someone! Anyone! Help me!’

  
His mind was filled with questions and confusion. He kicked and waved, pushed and climbed, but it was hopeless. There was no light, so shapes, no one near; he was alone. No matter what he tried to say his voice was muffled, no matter what he reached for there was nothing there.

  
He became afraid.

  
The cold started to crawl through his bones the deeper he sank. The muffled sounds became quieter, the silence soon became deafening.

  
He tried to grasp for things in his mind. Warm memories, familiar faces, welcoming places, feelings, sounds, tastes, smells, anything!

  
It was all becoming blurred, distant, going just out of reach.

  
Time passed; was it minutes, hours, days? He did not know. He was starting to lose himself.

  
Then came a sound; a deep, echoing, clicking of some kind. He attempted to move his arms and legs, but they jerked in their stiff and cold state. All he could do was turn his head to the sound, barely succeeding for he could only turn it a bit to his right. His sight was getting blurred, but he could make out a greyish object coming his way.

  
The clicking got louder and the object got larger, then multiplying. He was not sure what to do, he was getting colder and stiffer; painfully so. He tried jerking his body again, calling for help with his muffled voice.

  
The objects kept getting bigger, much bigger. Should he be scared? Were they dangerous? Would they help? Questions began clouding his mind again, making him go into a small panic.

  
Then, they were near him.

  
The grey objects were long, wide, and seemed sentient. Most passed by him like he was not there, but one got under him. He felt the grey beast push him up, making him ride on the beast’s back as it moved through the dark and cold.

  
He managed to force his hand to grip the beast’s skin, anchoring him to the creature as it traveled onward.

  
Time passed again, but this time the darkness was fading, revealing light and many shades of blue. The water was still cold, but it got warmer the more the creatures moved. The clicking sounds never seemed to stop for long, the beasts appeared to be communicating with it. The sound was lulling in a way, so much so that he found himself waking from a deep sleep at times.

  
Then, the surface could be seen. The creatures then headed for the light shining through the waters. The beast he rode on lifted him above the water with a mighty push.

  
He gasped and coughed, rolling to his back as he caught his breath. He squinted his eyes at the blinding sunlight, blinking several times to adjust to it. He could see the paler blue sky, a few flying white birds that called to each other, and some small clouds here and there.

  
The sun warmed his body, he began to regain feeling in his arms and legs. He sat up, slowly and stiffly, turning his head to see his surroundings. There was nothing but water all around, as far as he could see. But under the surface of the water, he could see his large traveling companions and savior. Getting a good look at them and racking his memory, he realized they were whales. Massive whales at that, they were probably bigger than buses.

  
Just as he was getting his bearings, a wave crashed into him, pushing him off the whale and back into the water. Trying to find his way in the surface water, the ocean tossed and turned him like a doll. He could not find his way or the whales he came so far with. As the sea played with him, he caught glimpses of the sky, sun, and clouds. Then he would be pushed back into the cold water, struggling to stay afloat.

  
After hours of this dizzying torture, he bumped into something. Then something became somethings. Multiple objects were pushing him together, reaching the surface and steading him on the waves. His arms desperately wrapped around the small backs of two of them, their bodies on either side of his.

  
Steadying his mind once again, he saw he was being assisted by a group of seals. They were rubbery and brown with whiskers, and they made funny sounds that made him laugh in his drowsy state.

  
They traveled like that for a while, sometimes above the ocean’s surface and sometimes just slightly below. But the further they traveled, the rougher the water got. The waves became harder, stronger. It became difficult to hold on to the seals carrying him.

  
A massive wave soon grabbed him and he slipped from the safety of the seals. As the water lifted him, he began to lose consciousness again. Then the wave crashed him into a large sea stack, knocking the back of his head onto the edge of the tall rock.

  
That was the final key to making him utterly forget everything.

  
‘Where am I? Who am I? What is happening?’

  
The rest of the trip passed in a blur for him. Moving colors, big and small. Muffled sounds of all kinds. A shifting of cold and warm. And a large push that made him land in hard objects in all shapes and sizes.

  
Slightly waking from his unconsciousness, he reached forward and moved away from the water behind him. He crawled through the uncomfortable land, rocks he remembered, and finally stopped feet away from the ocean’s grasp.

  
The light seemed to be fading, but not from his eyes closing, it was from the warm sun setting on the horizon.

  
He was getting tired, exhausted even. He needed to sleep.

  
The shouting stopped him from succumbing to his desire. Voices laced with worry got louder as they approached him. He just barely turned his head enough to see three girls. They all had beach dresses and sun hats in different styles and colors. Two of them took the towels from their arms and placed them on the rocks; one was laid down flat and the other was folded into a square shape. The two of them then rolled him on his back, placing him on the towels in a makeshift bed. The third girl was on her phone, speaking worriedly to whoever was on the other end. The two girls that helped him tried to talk to him, he could only make out a few words from what they were saying, but he understood that they were concerned.

  
Everything was muffled and numb to him. Even as more voices and strange people came, he could not put an effort to do anything. He needed sleep.

  
Things got calmer when a few people in white with red came, they lifted him onto something more comfortable and carried him away. He did not care that he knew nothing of them. He did not care that he was being taken somewhere new. All he cared about was sleep.

  
And finally, after so long, he slept.


	4. Amnesia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter! Please leave comments and kudos if you like it!

He was warm, relaxed… it was quiet and calm. He felt better.

  
Why did he feel better?

  
He wanted to sleep, but he felt strange. He needed to rest but he wanted answers.

  
Pulling what remained of his strength, he forced his eyes to open.

  
At first, he hissed at the bright light above his head, moving his arm to cover and shield himself from it. Then he began to blink a few times and slowly moved his arm away. There was a ceiling above him with light coming from a window to his right.

  
Turning his head, he could see trees just through the blinds. Gazing around, he found himself in a small white room. By the window was a chair, on his left was a nightstand with a lamp, and opposite to the window was a large brown door.

  
Looking down at himself, he could see he was laying on a bed with white sheets and metal frames. He could feel he had no clothing on, other than the strange gown he somehow got in.

  
Confused, he tried to make sense of what had happened. As he searched his mind it came up blank and foggy. It was like whatever happened had been wiped clean from his mind.

  
‘Come to think of it… who am I?’

  
Just as he thought that the door opened to let in two people. They saw him and seemed to look relieved to see him.

  
One was a man, wearing a blue shirt of some sort with matching sweatpants and a long white coat. The other was a woman, she wore a greenish shirt similar to the man and also had her pants matching its color.

  
Just as he was analyzing them, the man spoke, “Good morning, sir. I am glad to see you have finally awakened. You gave us all quite a scare when we found you and you fell asleep for two days.”

  
‘Two days? I was asleep that long? What happened?’

  
The man continued with a warm smile, “I am Dr. James. This is nurse Clare.” he gestured the woman walking to the foot of the bed who gave a small wave and smile.

  
Nurse Clare then pulled out some papers from the end of the bed and handed them to Dr. James as he walked to the chair to his right.

  
“Now, I know you’ve just woken up, but I need to ask you a few questions if you can answer.” the doctor looked at him with a hopeful expression.

  
Hesitant, he decided to tell the doctor his little issue, “I am sorry. But I do not know if I can answer. I can not remember anything.”

  
Both the doctor and nurses snapped their heads, “Can you not remember anything at all? Not even your name?” Dr. James asked in a low voice.

  
“I am sorry, but I can not. My head is blank and fuzzy. I can not recall anything.”

  
The room was silent for a minute before he spoke again, “Tell me, you said you found me, where was I?”

  
Dr. James and nurse Clare glanced at each other before Clare answered, “You were found on the rocky shore by the sea stacks in a small town near here. You were barely conscious and not responding. We all feared the worse when you would not wake up. And we are a bit ill-prepared for a patient like you. You are the first monster we’ve ever had.”

  
He blinked, processing this information, “Then… where am I?”

  
“You’re in a small hospital in Alan Town. It’s a small place within mountains and hills, nice scenery, local wildlife, and a steady population of a couple hundred, give or take a dozen or two more from the occasional tourist.” Dr. James answered, “The shore you washed up on is a little way to the east, near some steep cliffs of the little port town near here. You were found by three fishermen's wives who were taking a walk around sunset. They managed to help you until the paramedics got there.”

  
“Three?... oh, I think I remember that… but it’s a bit fuzzy.” he said as he rubbed the back of his head.

  
The doctor began to write something down as the nurse said, “Well that means your memory is not completely gone. So there is a possibility that you can get it back. But to verify that, we want to ask you a few more questions to see how much you remember. Are you up for it?”

  
He looked between Dr. James and nurse Clare a few times, considering. After a bit, he nodded and the two began working with him on his amnesia.

* * *

  
It has been days since he arrived here at Alan Hospital. He was officially diagnosed with Retrograde Amnesia and what they were calling ‘bone exhaustion’ for his tired and aching body. Dr. James hypothesized that his ‘bone exhaustion’ was due to swimming in the ocean for an extended period of time, most likely with little rest. It was also believed that his memory loss was either caused by the shock of cold ocean water or, the most logical explanation, his skull bumping on something hard while he was swimming to shore. After the doctors and nurses analyzed him as best they could, they discovered a small indent on the back of his skull, which they believed was caused by a rock of some sort.

  
Since he could not remember his name, the hospital staff chose to call him Mister X, though he did not like the name much. He had soon found out that because the town was so isolated from larger towns and cities, they had little connections to outside information. And because he was a monster, they had no medical records to check for his name or emergency contacts to find his family.

  
But while the staff was able to be patient and wait for his memory to return with time, he, on the other hand, was not so willing. He soon discovered that he was restless by nature, after so long staying in bed, he found he needed to move or do something other than sitting around all day. The nurses were kind and understanding, giving him books, puzzles, and crosswords to pass the time, but they did little to help. The staff would often find him pacing in his room, trying to move and think of something else he could do.

  
He was granted some relief when the hospital staff allowed him to have visitors. They were the three women that found him on the shore, accompanied by their husbands from time to time.

  
The one that called for help was named Trisha, her husband was Frank who was a sailor on fishing boats. She had dark brown hair and deep green eyes, she was mainly a housewife but she also made seashell jewelry that was often sold to the occasional tourist.

  
The two that helped him lay on his back were actually sisters. The oldest was Rebecca, she had light blond hair and grey eyes. She was married to William, who was a navigator and weather expert. Rachael was only two years younger than her sister, with medium blond hair and blue eyes. She actually married William’s cousin, Adam, who worked loading and unloading heavy items from the docks. The two sisters sometimes worked together at a bakery in Alan Town, but only twice every week, when they were not busy at home.

  
They thankfully visited every so often, keeping him occupied with discussions and telling him about the town he was currently in and the port town he was found in. It helped for a bit until it was not enough anymore.

  
After a while, he started sneaking out of his room and walked down the halls to the back courtyard. It was small, had a few flowers here and there, but it was peaceful and had room for him to stroll around. The nurses would scold him for not informing anyone where he was going whenever they found him there.

  
Which is where he was now, walking in the garden while enjoying the fresh air. He had been there for about thirty minutes when nurse Clare came.

  
“Mister X! I thought we told you to inform one of the staff when you wish to go to the courtyard.”

  
He sighed, “You did, but as always, everyone was too busy and I did not wish to disturb them. Besides, you all know where to find me by now and it’s not like I’m going into town.”

  
Clare gave him a tired and annoyed look, “Be that as it may, you still must inform the staff regardless. Anyway, it is lunchtime, you need to get back to your room.”

  
“Very well.” he said as he started walking back through the halls of the small hospital.

  
As he and Clare passed the desk, one of the room alerts went off.

  
“Oh, dear. Looks like Mrs. Dalla needs help. Can you head back to your room and not go back to the courtyard, Mister X?” Clara asked him with a look that said ‘you better head to your room or else I will drag you there myself’.

  
He rolled his eye lights at her glare, “Yes, I can walk to my room alone.”

  
Nurse Clare then walked down an alternate hall and he headed down the hall that led to his room. As he walked, he tried to think; what is he missing, why can’t he remember anything of his past, is there something he is doing that’s blocking him from remembering? These questions kept frustrating him every single day, and nothing he did could change anything.

  
In his thoughts, he did not see the woman walking towards him, glaring at papers, also not paying attention to where she was headed. In a few seconds, he collided with her and they both fell down on the floor, the woman’s papers scattered everywhere.

  
“Oh, my goodness! I’m sorry, I was not watching where I was going. Are you alright sir?” the woman’s voice was laced with worry but gentle as she spoke.

  
“Ah, yes I am fine. But this is not just your fault, I was also not paying attention.” he said.

  
He rubbed his lower spine before reaching to gather some of the papers that had scattered around him.

  
“Oh, you don’t have to do that! I can get them-”

  
“I insist on helping, this was just as much my fault as yours. And it would be rude not to assist at least a little bit.” he cut her off as he gathered and piled more papers, glancing up to see her.

  
She had lightly tanned skin, deep brown hair with slightly curled ends, and dark green eyes. She wore no makeup, no jewelry, and her outfit screamed nature. She was wearing a pale green, loose crop top with pink roses embroidered on the front and under it was a plain white sleeveless shirt. Her long skirt was a slightly darker shade of green but still pale compared to the green plants outside. Around her neck was a short scarf in a rosy pink color, similar to the roses on her top. Hanging on her right shoulder was a simple cotton tote bag with various kinds of flowers stitched on the sides and handles.

  
She looked at him surprised, “O-Oh, well… thank you. You do not find many gentlemen in town these days.” she said as she gathered the last of the papers.

  
After they were done, he handed her the stack he collected, which she took with a smile.

  
“Thank you again, mister…?”

  
“Oh, well, I have been going by Mister X among the staff here. Just until I can remember my name.” he said honestly.

  
She blinked at him, “You have amnesia?”

  
He nodded and sighed, “Yes, it’s been a bit of a hassle these last few days.”

  
She looked at him, genuinely amazed and a bit saddened. Was she amazed to see a monster here, or was it something else? He did not know.

  
“And you are…?” he asked, hoping to change the subject.

  
“Ah! Yes, silly me. I am Viva, Viva Nancy, good sir.” she replied with a small bow of her head and a little curtsy; crossing her right leg behind her left and bending down a bit.

  
He tilted his skull, “Viva. That means life, right?” he asked, recalling something in a book he read a few days ago.

  
She giggled, “That is right, sir.”

  
He smiled at her giggle, she seemed to give off a calm and welcoming aura.

  
“If I may ask, what are you doing here today? Do you have family or friends here?” he asked curiously.

  
“I’m afraid not, I simply needed to get these papers, but it appears the copy machine is having some issues. So I will not be able to get everything today. Even after five years of waiting.” Viva mumbled that last part to herself, but he still heard it.

  
He raised a bone brow, “Five years? That is quite a long time to wait for simple paperwork.”

  
She sighed, “Yes it is, but it can be lifesaving to have physical copies over storing everything in computers. You never know what can happen.”

  
“Precautions for the unpredictable. Smart move.” he complimented, getting a smile from her.

  
“Thank you, not everyone can understand my reasons but you seem to get it.” Viva pointed out.

  
He smiled, liking that he seemed to have learned something else about himself. He briefly wondered if he was the cautions type as well.

  
“Mister X, shouldn't you be in your room?”

  
He turned around seeing another nurse, Tina he remembered, walk up to them while pushing a large basket of sheets.

  
“I was heading there, Tina, when I accidentally bumped into Viva Nancy. We were just talking.” he stepped out of the way, giving nurse Tina full view of Viva.

  
At the sight of her, Tina stopped and smiled brightly, “Viva! It’s been too long, how are you?”

  
Viva returned her smile and replied, “I’m just fine, Tina. Though, I might lose it if your copy machine keeps messing with me.”

  
The nurse laughed a bit, “Oh, trust me, girl, everyone is close to losing it with that hunk of junk.”

  
He, confusedly, looked between the two of them, “You know each other?”

  
Nurse Tina chose to answer, “Viva has been regularly coming here to get copies of her kids’ medical records. But the system we have for that has been slow for a while.”

  
“Slow? That’s an understatement.” Viva rolled her eyes in response.

  
He looked at Viva surprised, “You have children?”

  
Viva practically beamed, “Oh, yes! They’re triplets too and are such good kids!” she stated proudly.

  
“You seem quite proud of them.” he said, intrigued and interested.

  
“Well, there is just so much to be proud of. My little boy, Andy, he is such a sweet child and he always wants to help. The girls, Annie and Abby, they are so gifted and so creative. Why, just yesterday, the two of them-”

  
The sound of a cell phone ringtone cut Viva off, she immediately reached for it in her bag and turned to answer it.

  
“Hello. Granny? Is something wrong?... Oh, they did? Alright… Okay, I’ll be home soon. Thank you Granny.” she hung up and turned back to face him, “I’m sorry, but I have to go. It was nice meeting you, sir.”

  
He frowned slightly but then kindly smiled, “Yes it was. Perhaps we will meet again.”

  
Viva tilted her head in slight thought, then smiled as well, “Yes, I believe we will.”

  
She gave a small bow and headed back towards the front desk, leaving him and Tina in the hall.

  
“Come on, Mister X. It’s already past lunch and you need to be in your room.” Tina pointed at his bedroom door just a few feet away.

  
“Yes, yes, I know.”

  
As he returned to his room and ate the meal placed on his nightstand for him, he thought of Viva. She was different somehow, she made him feel happier and even relaxed. He silently hoped he would see her again.

  
There was just something special about her that he was drawn to and he wanted to know just what it is.


	5. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Next chapter is uploaded!

Viva did see him again, in fact, they saw each other often. She was determined to get what she wanted and almost nothing stood in her way except the busted copier. He would meet her in the halls after a failed attempt with the machine and they talked about everything.

  
When he would ask about her kids, Viva would go on about them for hours. She was a very proud mother, he quickly learned, and was encouraging to their dreams for life. Viva was also their teacher since they were homeschooled, allowing them to learn and study at their own pace. Apparently, the two girls learned faster than their brother, the youngest triplet.

  
He learned that Viva lived farther inland, on a small patch of land in the middle of the mountain forest. She apparently grew a lot of her food in a garden and even gave some away at a farmers market regularly. The way Viva described her garden sounded like she had a lot of work to do, but she insisted that with her kids being the sweet little helpers they were, tending to the garden was more fun than work.

  
To him, the work Viva did by herself made her seem remarkably strong. She was a single mother with three kids, with land and a garden to tend to, topped with the regular house duties, and her children's education. He would have expected her to say she hired a babysitter once and a while or even a housekeeper, but when he asked if she did, Viva laughed and told him she never once hired anybody to do anything for her. That somehow made him respect her more, he did not know why, but he had a sinking suspicion it was because of how independent and hardworking she truly was.

  
As the visits continued, he found his time in the hospital more bearable than before. The only annoying thing was that it was getting hard to figure out his identity.

  
“Mister X, please be patient. We are trying very hard to find your name and family, but it will take time.” Dr. James said as he paced in his room, “You must understand, there are regulations to go through and you still have not recovered your memory, you must focus on getting better if you want to recover your identity.”

  
He stopped and crossed his arms as he faced the doctor, “I know that and I have been working on my lack of memory, but here is where my problem is; nothing is working. I have tried to find anything that so much as feels familiar, but even if I focus on it for hours, it does nothing. And being trapped in one building for days is not helping any, either.”

  
Dr. James sighed, “I understand your anxiousness. But you must be patient, anyone would act the same in your place.”

  
“If you understand so well, then why can you not allow me more privileges?” He asked, raising a brow, “And another thing, why is it so hard for you to find my identity? Surely finding a skeleton monster can be easier than finding others.”

  
Dr. James had a debated look on his face before he sighed again, “Mister X, it’s time we were honest with you. Monsters have only been on the surface for a short amount of time and despite there being so few of them compared to humans, there are few monsters’ files in the medical industry. Topped with the fact that our town is very secluded and has very little outer connections, well… what I am trying to say is that it will likely take months or even years for us to find your exact file.”

  
As the doctor dangled his head apologetically, He stood slack-jawed at James.

  
“Months? Years?! I can not stay here that long!” He exclaimed, raising his hands above his skull in exasperation.

  
The very thought of remaining indoors for such an extended period of time made him nervous and anxious all over again. He could not just sit in a room all day, he needed to do something, anything at all. He did not care if it was walking, talking, or even reading. He needed something to distract him and keep him focused.

  
He turned his skull to glance down at the clothes laying on the bed. They were the items he was found wearing when he washed ashore. The entire outfit always seemed to make him proud of himself for some reason, perhaps it was from a job he truly wanted in the past. The boots were tall, high-heeled, and a deep violet color that matched the gloves and bandana. The rest of the uniform ranged in colors of black and dark grey.

  
Despite the whole outfit stirring a strong feeling of nostalgia, he still could not remember anything about his past. Not even wearing the uniform brought any memories, despite the strong familiarity he felt. The bandana especially was the most familiar part of the outfit. Since he saw it, he has refused to part with it, having some small hope that wearing the item may return some of who he was. But as it was, it did little more than comfort him through the hard and stressful weeks.

  
Dr. James began to speak again, “Please, stay calm. We are already looking into possible solutions for your wait. If you would like, we can get you a temporary name and have you become an official citizen of our town. You could even get a job and save your finances to afford your own living here if you wish to.”

  
He tilted his skull in thought at the idea. It would be the most useful solution, as he did need the money and a distraction. Getting a job in town covered both those things, but…

  
“Are there any available jobs in town at all?” He asked, raising a brow, “I know exactly how small this place is.”

  
As he thought, the doctor looked nervous at the question. Which meant that there were not any workspaces open. A town at small as Alan could only support so many people, considering its small size and few outer connections.

  
“We’ll look into something for you,” Dr. James said, though he sounded unsure, “I’m sure there may be at least one place with an available job for you."

  
He scoffed at the doctor’s attempt of reassurance, “I’m going to the courtyard. I need to think all of this over.”

  
With that, he walked past Dr. James and down the hallways at a steady pace. Reaching the door, he walked outside with a small smile, taking a deep breath of fresh air as he walked along the path.

  
As he passed the many flowers and shrubbery, his thoughts wandered.

  
‘This is ridiculous, months to years just to find my identity? Traveling is off the table, that would cost more and leaving to go to a larger town would only mean starting over from scratch again. But staying here does not give me many options either. This place can hardly even be called a real town. There are barely more than two hundred people here, all possible places of work have got to be taken by now. Not to mention, this location is secluded, barely anyone even comes just to tour around. If my past is not found, I could end up here forever, then where would-’

  
“Sir? Hello, Sir?”

  
He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to his left, finding Viva standing next to him with a concerned expression on her face.

  
“Is everything all right, Sir?” she asked calmly, her concern heard in her voice as much as it was seen.

  
“I am-” He paused, considering what to say. With a reluctant sigh, he sat at the stone bench beside a patch of orange flowers, “Nothing is right.”

  
Viva frowned as she sat beside him, gazing into his eye sockets, waiting for him to continue.

  
He sighed and chose not to conceal anything, “As it turns out, the time to retrieve my identity can last from months to even years as things are. By the time they may find who I am, whoever may be looking for me could have given up. If anyone is looking for me.”

  
He mumbled that last part to himself but Viva still heard it. She placed a hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze, “I’m sure someone is looking for you, as everyone has someone important to them in their lives. But when that someone is lost, it can feel like an eternity passes before they are found.”

  
He turned and locked eyes with her, he could see the genuine belief of her own words, the kindness in her eyes, and felt the unbelievable amount of care she was giving him. He could tell that Viva was not simply saying those words in an effort to comfort him, she was saying those words honestly with her entire soul.

  
“That’s...” he was at a loss for words, but found only two that fit, “... thank you.” It was odd to say those words as if he did not say them often. Yet another small and useless clue of who he was.

  
Viva still smiled with a gentle light in her eyes, as though nothing more needed to be said.

  
The two of them sat in comfortable silence. Viva kept her hand over his to keep him grounded and aware he was not alone.

  
After minutes passed, Viva hesitantly began speaking.

  
“You know, this town is quite nice, but...” she bit her lip slightly as he searched her face, trying to see where she was going with this conversation, “... well, I can not help but notice that you’re… not one for constant interaction with many others.”

  
She drifted off with the silence, glancing at him every few seconds. He nodded in agreement with her observation, he did find the constant eyes on him unnerving in many ways.

  
Viva continued, “And while relocating may help, it often goes better if you have someone that you’re familiar with, with you.”

  
He was starting to connect the dots, eye sockets widening at the realization.

  
She smiled at his expression and finished, “What I’m saying is, perhaps, you would be interested in staying with my family and I for a time. We have room and I know the kids would love another’s opinion on their little projects and creations.”

  
He blinked his eye sockets a few times, looking over her face for any signs of humor or dark intent, but she was clean. Viva was actually offering him a place in her home, possibly even free of charge considering her kind soul.

  
When he thought it over, he realized it was the best choice to make. While he would be far away from civilization, he could spend time trying new things and seeing if anything brought the slightest memory. Trips to cities and towns were not off the table, so he could still leave if nothing was helping. But still…

  
“That could work,” he began, but then firmly stated, “but I will not be living there for free. I will be covering housework, maintenance, and anything I can do so that I am not a free-loader.”

  
Viva smiled with a knowing look in her irises, she had expected this, “Alright, but if you’re going to be working, I insist on paying you at least a little. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, got it?”

  
He smirked back, expecting that, “Fine but nothing ridiculously high.”

  
Viva grinned and stood up, “Perfect! What do you say we speak to your doctor and get the approval?”

  
“Sounds like a plan.”

  
It really did to him, it really seemed like a step in the right direction.

  
He honestly did not know why he trusted this woman so much over the time they spent together. Maybe it was her calming presence, maybe it was her smile, maybe it was her contagious happiness. He did not know. But he did know things would be better with her.

  
There was hope.

  
He just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies are in order, so sorry! 
> 
> I'm working on so many stories that are in my head and trying to at least jolt down new ideas that are popping up. 
> 
> Please be patient and I promise I'll get to everything! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
